Govt to construct 3,000 suspension bridges in next two years

(Sanchita Ghimire)

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 25 : The government has forwarded a plan to construct 3,000 suspension bridges across the country in the next two years. Such bridges in every half-hour distance are expected to facilitate the mobility of people by ensuring their rights to basic facilities like education and health, according to the Ministry of Urban Development.

Assuming office, Urban Development Minister Bikram Pandey approved the plan to construct suspension bridges, a project mentioned in the current 15th plan of the government. The process for the project has been forwarded accordingly, said Director General of the Department of Local Infrastructure, Ishwor Chandra Marahatta. "The project will save lives of people, who in general are risking their lives for want of bridges," he said. The government at all three levels, federal, provincial, and local, has been involved in the project. The local level is required to construct a bridge less than 120 meters in length, and the federal government is responsible for a bridge more than the length, he said.

The federal government must provide a budget for the local level for the project. In the current fiscal year, 2022/23, Rs 6 billion has been allocated for the project. The local group has already been asked to provide project details including the location and the number, he said. "A decision will be taken for the project after a team of the Department carries out a study based on the demand. The project will be implemented in the current FY."

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